Most releases were automated transcodes. Swery or his team would download high-quality "Scene" releases and run them through automated scripts (like Handbrake-CLI) to compress them into 1–2 GB files.
In October 2015, the YTS website suddenly went dark. It was soon revealed that the had filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Swery in New Zealand. The One YIFY
Despite the criticism, the strategy worked. By 2013, "YIFY" was the most searched term on Google and major torrent sites like Kickass Torrents. The Fall and the MPAA Lawsuit Most releases were automated transcodes
YIFY’s meteoric rise was fueled by a specific technical niche: . While "Scene" groups prioritized high-bitrate, lossless quality for enthusiasts, YIFY targeted the "average" user with limited bandwidth or storage. the strategy worked. By 2013